


The Dead Jokers Society

by kingbeezelbub



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Black Comedy, Bruce Needs a Hug, Bruce Wayne does some stupid things, Bruce can't let sleeping jokers lie, Conflict, Eventual Smut, Gen, Hallucinations, Jason's potty mouth, Joker being Joker, Multi, Supernatural Elements, the joker dies, typical batfam drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-08-29 14:04:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16745392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingbeezelbub/pseuds/kingbeezelbub
Summary: In Arkham Asylum, Joker is pronounced dead in his cell. But the cause of death has yet to be known. When the rest of Gotham hears of this, most of them are elated that the terror of their lives is gone. All but one.Bruce is restless, knowing that his greatest enemy is dead and is still haunted by his ghostly visage, mercilessly taunting him, even in his dreams. In order to quell his demons, he must do something that would never do...





	1. The Beast Within

Batman was standing in front of the cell where the Joker was being held. In front of him, was the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker himself, dead.

The scene was entirely unreal. He expected him to play dead and attack his guards, giving him a chance to escape. But this... This was not normal. The monstrous clown's face didn't have any of his usual grin, only a blank expression. As if... he was at peace.

A grunt escaped his lips as the caped crusader turned to face Gordon, who had a similar look matching his face. "Do you think this is a trick?" He asked.

"Hard to say," he replied. "The orderlies found him like this when they got arrived. Before that, they had howling and screaming coming from his cell." The old man let out a gruff sigh. "I'm not sorry that he's dead, however."

"I know." His eyes turned towards the now dead Joker."I know how you feel, Jim."

"I'm just relieved it happened to this sorry son of a bitch. This is more than what he deserves." The commissioner spat out, his tone filled with vitriol. "I'll let you know once the autopsy's gone through."

"Good," Batman nodded as he turned away and left the scene behind him. He felt something tug at his heart, but he ignored it. A part of him knew he should be happy, but he couldn't let that get in the way of his duties. He had work to do.

 

"Bullshit!"

Dick winced at the shout coming from his younger brother, who was currently walking up a storm in the cave. "Jason-"

"No! No! Don't you dare tell me to calm the fuck down!" The Red Hood growled dangerously as he pointed at finger at Nightwing. "He was mine! The bastard made my life hell! And he gets to die without comeuppance?! Fuck that! Fuck him for ruining my revenge!"

"I thought you'd be happy that he's dead, Todd." Damian deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

"You shut the fuck up, demon." Jason pointed at the youngest in the room. "You don't get a say in this shit."

Bruce ignored the bantering behind him as he worked on the Bat-computer, checking on the scenes from the camera in Joker's cell. He slightly regretted calling the Batfamily to the cave as soon as he broke the news. Jason was the first to react to this, and he didn't take it very well.

"Jason, please." Barbara sighed as she tried to play the mediator. "You're not the only one whose life he ruined. Trust me, I would be lying if I said I'm sorry he's gone. But you have to let it go."

"I can't let it go." He snarled, clenching a fist. "The bastard is probably in hell, yukking it up with all the other evil assholes in history." Jason then switched his gaze at the screen, looking at the footage from Arkham. "What are you watching, old man?"

"The time when Joker died," Bruce responded without looking back.

"How did he die, anyway?" Stephanie asked, tilting her head. Cassandra was looking at the screen as well.

"I'm getting there," The patriarch of the Bat family replied, looking at the Joker snickering to himself in the padded cell. He narrowed his eyes and let out a huff, the time of his death was 10:30, it was nearly 10:24. How did he die-?

A loud scream of pain startled the others, turning their attention to the screen. Bruce flinched as the Joker let out a series of screams and thrashed around his cell violently, his eyes bugging out.

"Jesus Christ." Tim blurted out in shock.

Jason, Dick, and Barbara just stared in horrified silence as they watched the Joker threw his head back, blood running from his eyes. He let out a mumbled words before screaming again, falling to his side in agony.

"...What the fuck?" Stephanie gasped out.

"F-Father?" Damian managed to get out, not tearing away his eyes from the screen. "W-What's happening?"

Bruce didn't answer. He was captivated by the screaming and thrashing that his adversary was making. Was he dying? If so, what was killing him? He needed answers.

As the timer hit 10:29, the Joker let out one final, loud scream of pain, rolling around the floor and jerking his limbs erratically, before going still and letting out pitiful, whimpering moans. Then the moaning subsided and he shut his eyes and mouth, expiring near the door, where he found him.

"Oh, my god." Dick was the first one to breathe out, putting an arm around Damian. "T-That was the scariest thing I've seen in my life."

Jason had another opinion. "Good. At least he suffered. Couldn't ask for a better death for him."

"No one deserves to die like that, Jason." Barbara hissed in a scolding manner at him. "Not even him."

"F-Father, what happened to the clown...?" Damian breathed out, his eyes widened in concern and fear. "Father, please..."

"I don't know, Damian." Bruce spoke in a soft and low voice. He couldn't answer that he didn't know. "But I'm going to find out."

"S-So... who wants to order a pizza?" Stephanie asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm... really hungry." The blonde was trying her best not to let the video she watched affect her.

"I'll go ask Alfred to make us something." 

With that, Bruce rose from his seat and headed out of the cave.

 

"Batsy~"

Bruce shook his head, ignoring the voice in the air as he trudged down the hall, looking for his butler.

"Bats~!"

"Stop it," He growled out.

"You can't ignore me forever, Batsy. Did my swan song scare you? It did, didn't it? You don't have to lie." Joker's voice rang in his ear, like an annoying fly. "I bet your little birds were shook up, too."

A growl rose from his throat. "Shut up."

"Why? C'mon, Bats, you and me can't keep secrets from each other! I bet you got a rock hard willy in your pants just by watching me die. How did it feel, Bats? Did it make you feel good?" The clown purred.

"Enough! Just stop it!" Bruce barked out loudly, clenching his fists. "You're not real!"

"Oh, am I? You miss me, you know you do~"

He shook his head and strode down the hall, doing his best to ignore the voice in his head. He had to Alfred to find.

 

Soon, the group were sitting at the table, eating Alfred's ravioli with cheese sprinkled on top.

"Mmm...! This is so good...!" Steph moaned exaggeratedly.

"Stop acting like you've never eaten here before, Fatgirl." Damian grumbled.

"Bite me, you little munchkin." The blonde sassed back, causing Jason to laugh loudly.

"Guys, stop. Let's not ruin our family dinner by bickering." Dick chided.

Cass was looking at her father with a look of concern. Bruce took notice of this and looked back. "What is it, Cass?"

"Are you all right?" she softly asked.

"I'm fine." He mumbled out, not wanting to let them know what transpired at the hall. How could they believe him if their father was having a nervous breakdown? Just as Bruce was about to put a ravioli in his mouth, the ghostly voice of the clown came back with a vengeance.

"Don't be so emo, Bats! Tell. Them. The. TRRUUUTH!" Joker roared right into his ear. Bruce groaned and shoved the food into his mouth, trying his best to ignore the noise. He looked at the others, who were busy chatting among each other as usual.

Suddenly, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he saw the Joker jump up onto the table, wearing a cabaret dancer's outfit. "Hey, batsy~ Check this out!" The madman began to do the cancan right in front of him, singing a tune in bad French.

Bruce just stared in shock horror at the sight. He was having a bad hallucination. That was the only explanation. 

Joker then spun around and flipped his skirt up, showing his pale ass with the words, "KISS ME, BATSY" written on. "Ta-da~!" He trilled out.

Having had his limit, Bruce pushed his chair back and stood up. 

"B? What's wrong?" Dick asked, looking at him.

"Nothing," Bruce sighed. "I'm just going to the bathroom. Don't worry about it."

"If you say so." Dick then returned to his attention on Damian as Bruce headed upstairs, his brows furrowed.

 

As he shut the door behind him, Bruce turned towards the mirror, glaring at his reflection. "I want you to stop this."

"Stop what, daddy-o?" Joker placed an arm around his shoulders.

"THIS!" Bruce snarled, turning to glare at him. "Stop fucking with me! Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Bats, please! We're best friends!" Joker had the fucking gall to look hurt. "I just wanted you to stop being a moldy old bum! I got unfinished business with you, man."

"You fucking bastard!" The dark knight swung his fist at the clown, only for him to vanish. "We are not friends. We will never be friends! You are dead, and you are not real!"

Joker's laughter rang again in his ears. That damnable laughter. "Friends forever, you and me, no matter what, together we'll be..." He sang out.

Bruce let out a rage-filled scream and slammed his fists onto the sink, panting heavily. He was not going to let him win. He was the Batman. And he wasn't going to let some idiotic hallucination break him.


	2. It's a Mad, Mad World

Bruce was sitting at his place near the table, where the rest of the Justice League were conversing on the situation. He inwardly sighed. He really didn't want to be here today, but his presence was required.

"So, I was thinking, we should probably decide on who's going to be on monitor duty this month, and well, I want to hear on your opinions about it." Clark was gabbing on as usual about things he already knew. He wished he would get on with it.

His gaze fell upon him. "Bruce, do you have anything to add?"

The dark knight stood up and tightened his jaw. "I think we should nominate-"

"Day-o!"

Bruce stared at the Joker, eyes narrowed behind his cowl.

"...Bruce?" Clark asked, concerned.

"Daylight come, and me _wan' go hoooome..._ "

"I'm fine. I was saying, that we should put Barry on-"

"DAY!" Joker boomed, jumping onto the table as a spotlight appeared upon him. "ME SAY DAY, ME SAY DAY, ME SAY DAY-O~!"

Batman watched in abject horror as his teammates began to rise from their chairs and follow the monster clown in his damned music number. This wasn't real. It wasn't real.

"Work all night on a drink of rum~" Joker kicked his legs high as he went round the table, the other heroes mimicking his movements. "Daylight come and _me wanna go home~!_ "

"Stop it!" Bruce barked at the purple-clad clown. Unfortunately, no one was listening as Clark began to whistle the song cheerfully.

"Stack banana til de mornin' come!" The green-haired freak swayed his hips in a sensual gesture, the female members of the league doing the same. Bruce snarled and leapt at the Joker, who gracefully leapt over him and spun around on his heel. "Daylight come, and me wanna go home~!"

"Fight it! He's controlling you all!" Bruce shouted at his teammates, to no avail. They were absolutely under his thrall.

"Sing wit' me!" Joker crowed happily.

"Come, mister tally man, tally me banana!" Hal sang out.

"Daylight come, and me wanna go home~!" Barry and Arthur shouted.

"Come, mister tally man, tally my banana!" Oliver let his voice carry out the lyrics.

"Daylight come, and me wanna go home!" Joker let out a whoop and jumped off the table and landed near Bruce, grinning madly. "Lift six-foot, seven-foot, eight-foot _BUNCH!_ "

  
Bruce woke up, screaming. He groaned in pain as he fell onto the floor, sobering him up quickly as he rubbed his eyes and let out a groan. Another bad dream. He cursed under his breath as he slowly stood up and stretched. "Damn it to hell," He let out a resigned sigh, trudging forward to his bathroom.

Hot water greeted his body as the shower kissed him all over, Bruce let out a sigh as he began to wash himself. Maybe he should go and tell the boys to enjoy themselves today. There was no reason for them to keep worrying over the Joker situation.

"Woke up this morning, got yourself a gun," Joker sang right into his ear. "Your mama always said, you'd be the chosen one."

"Shut up!" Bruce swung his fist around, making the Joker vanish. He let out a frustrated groan. He needed to pull himself together. This was a hallucination, a challenge to his sanity. And he wasn't going to lose.

"She said, you're one in a million, you've got burn to shine," The wicked clown kept on singing. "But you were born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your eyes~!"

He ignored Joker and kept scrubbing and cleaning himself, until he deemed himself clean, and began to leave the shower. Quickly, he got himself dressed and left his bedroom, trying to shut the madman out of his mind.

"And you woke up this morning, _all that love had gone~!_ " Joker was now screeching his lungs out, clearly intent on making his head hurt as possible. "YOUR PAPA NEVER TOLD YOU ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG~!"

"Master Bruce." Alfred greeted as he walked towards the stairs. "I see you've decided to join us for breakfast."

"Y-Yes, Alfred." Bruce shot him a strained smile and smelt the air. "I see you've decided to make the usual for us."

"Of course, sir. I especially made you your favorite."

He chuckled mirthlessly. "Thanks, Alfred."

"Hey, old man." Jason called out from his place at the table. "It took your ass long enough to get down here." Bruce let out a sigh. Why couldn't Jason be more civil at the table if he was going to be at the manor? As he took his seat at the table, the Red Hood craned his neck at him. "...The hell happened to you? You look like shit."

"Master Jason, language." Alfred sternly reprimanded.

"But seriously, B, what's up? You look like you've been through Killer Croc's wringer." Dick asked, munching on his toast.

"Croc has a wringer now?" Tim asked pointedly.

"Since when does he wash clothes?" Damian sneered.

"C'mon, guys, it's a joke. The least you could do is laugh about it." The former Robin pouted, causing a ghost of a smile to appear on Bruce's face before it went away again. "So, what's going on, Bruce? Did you have some kind of fight with your bed?"

"Dick, please. It's nothing." He sighed, not wanting to answer.

"Bruce, c'mon, you can tell me..." His eldest son whined.

"Save your breath, Dick-head, he's not gonna tell us anything. Why would he? He's so emotionally constipated, I bet he can't even cry tears anymore." Jason spat out, rising from his seat and walking causally over to Bruce. "Right, Bruce?"

"Jason, it's too early for this..." Bruce grunted out before glancing behind his second son's shoulder. The Joker was standing behind Jason, waving and holding a crowbar in his hand. ' _No..._ ' He thought, his heart pounding in his chest.

"'Jason, it's too early for this.' That's you, B." Jason smirked at his father. "Did I nail it or what?"

"That was horrible, Todd." The youngest Bat snapped at him, annoyed.

"I can't believe I'm saying, but Damian's right." Tim sipped his coffee. "That's the only time I'm agreeing with him on anything." He then let out an anguished cry as Jason snatched his mug from his grasp. "Hey! _Give it back!_ "

"Nope. You sassed me, Replacement. You gotta earn it back."

"Jay, give Tim his coffee back!"

"Never!" Jason danced around Tim's attempts to grab his mug from his grasp. "Not until he apologizes!"

Damian was watching with a sadistic grin, clearly enjoying this.

But Bruce wasn't paying attention. His gaze was locked on the Joker, who was thwacking the crowbar in the open palm of his hand, grinning menacingly. "Hey, Bats. Wanna see something cool?" A raucous cackle escaped from his lips as he raised the blunt instrument and prepared to swing at Jason's head like a golf club.

"No...!" Bruce whispered out, his eyes widening in horror.

" _FORE!_ " Joker roared out and swung the crowbar at his little Jaylad-

"NO!" Bruce roared, leaping out of his chair and lunging at Jason, tackling him down onto the floor, causing him to scream out and send Tim's mug flying towards the wall and making it crash, spilling the contents of his precious coffee onto the floor.

" _MY COFFEE!_ " Tim howled.

Damian burst into laughter at Tim's misfortune, eerily sounding like the Joker for a moment.

"Oh, my." Alfred looked at the scene in shock.

"Ow, god!" Jason groaned as he felt Bruce pinning him onto the floor. "Jesus fuck, Bruce, what the _hell_ is wrong with you?! God!"

"Dami, stop laughing! Timmy, it's okay, I'll get you another cup of Joe!" Dick cried out. He turned his gaze at Bruce and Jason. "Good grief, Bruce, _get off of him!_ What's wrong with you?!"

"Don't move," Bruce rasped out to Jason. "He's going to take you away from me again!"

"Take me away from what?! Who?!" The Red Hood cried out, trying his best to shake free from Bruce. "The _fuck_ is going on?!"

"Ya can't protect him forever, Batsy! They all gotta grow up and leave the nest! And this birdy needs to get his bloody wings!" Joker leaned down to Bruce and guffawed right into his ear.

" _Never!_ I'll never let you hurt him!" Bruce growled dangerously. He would never let this monster hurt his Robins, ever again! He lost Jason once, he couldn't lose him again...

Dick quickly moved towards Bruce and tried to pull him off of a squirming Jason. "Bruce, calm down. It's okay. No one is going to hurt us. No one is going to hurt Jay. He's dead, Bruce. Please..."

The soothing words his ward was speaking to him was starting to have an effect as he began to relax his grip on his second son and let Dick lift him off of Jason. "It's OK, Bruce. We're okay now."

Jason let out a groan as he slowly got to his feet and panted heavily. "Okay," He wheezed out. "Can anyone...tell me...THE FUCK?!"

"Master Dick, maybe it is best that you should help Master Bruce to his bedroom." Alfred suggested.

"Yeah, thanks, Alfie. I'll take him there." Dick agreed.

"N-No, I-I'm fine. I-I'm all right." Bruce tried to insist, but was met with a stern look from Dick.

"No, you're not, Bruce. Something's wrong. This is exactly what I was talking about." The former Robin stated. "You need to rest. Let us take care of things."

Damian and Tim silently watched their brother help their father up the stairs. Then they looked at each other.

"I am worried about Father."

"You're not the only one," Red Robin pointed out. "I think...that the Joker's death had an effect on Bruce."

"Effect, my ass! Did you see the way he looked at me?! I thought he was going to rip my ass a new one!" Jason exploded.

The current Robin puffed himself up in anger. "Maybe he should've! It would've taught you some humility!"

"Master Damian, sit down." Alfred scolded. "You as well, Master Jason. What's done is done. Let us finish our breakfast in peace."

As the brothers sat back down, Tim wondered what was going through Bruce's head right now.

  
"Dick, please, I'm fine now. You don't have to baby me." Bruce groaned, sitting on his bed.

"Stop trying to blow me off," Dick protested, frowning angrily at him. "It's about the Joker, isn't it?"

He let out a huff, doing his best to ignore Joker parading around in the Nightwing outfit, shaking his ass sexually at him and giving it a spank. God, why did he have to do this now?

"Bruce, listen. He's dead. He won't ever hurt anyone again. Please, you can't let him rule your life. Besides, Gotham still needs saving from the rest of the rogues, right?" His eldest placed an arm around his shoulders. "And Jay's back with us. He'll never leave us again."

"I know, chum." Bruce softly replied, a small smile appearing on his face. "Thank you."

"KODIAK MOMENT!" Joker howled, holding up a camera.

"So, please, get some rest, dad. Gotham will be here when you wake up." Nightwing smiled at him, then rose from the bed and headed out the room, closing the door behind him.

Joker burst into giggles as he plopped right next to Bruce. "Oh, boy! That was such a corny moment! Robin and Batman! Holy sappiness, Batman!"

" _STOP!_ " Bruce grabbed Joker by the throat and slammed him down on the bed. "Just shut the fuck up, you piece of shit! Stop haunting me! You're not real! You're nothing! Nothing but a pathetic joke that went on too long and should've ended long ago!" He was throttling the laughing clown in his rising rage. "You are a waste of life upon this world! You exist only to destroy and drain happiness from anyone you touch!"

"T-Tell me how you really feel, Batsy~" Joker groaned out.

"I should've killed you when I first saw you. I should've listened to Jason and killed you after you took his life!" Bruce rose from the bed and wrung his hands. "But I didn't. Because I am not like you. I will never become you. _I. won't. kill!_ "

"Oh, Batsy~" The green-haired man let out a sigh. "We're more alike than you think."

Bruce let out a scream and punched the Joker, making him vanish. He threw himself onto the bed, panting heavily. He had to do something about this. For once in his life, he needed help.


	3. The Sacred and the Profane

" _Joker!_ "

"Over here!" The clown's cackling voice rang out as Bruce ran through the gaudy purple corridor of the sick and twisted maze. He panted heavily as he followed the sound of the laughter of the monster clown.

"Where are you?"

"I'm here, Bats!"

"Joker!"

"In here!" His voice was getting closer to his ears. He knew he had to stop him before he did something terrible. As Bruce neared a giant green door with the opera masks of comedy and tragedy, he gathered his strength and kicked them open.

"My god...!" Bruce's eyes went wide with raw horror and shock. "No...!"

Joker was lying in a large leopard-print bed, naked and holding a wine glass in his hand as Barbara was riding on him, also nude. "Took ya long enough, Batsy! I was beginning to think you'd never come! I was getting lonely, you know?" He then reached over and patted the redhead on her bucking butt, causing her to moan. "Didn't know you had a thing for ol' Babs here."

 

Bruce awoke, letting out a short scream. He looked around the Batcave, for any signs of the wicked clown prince. Letting out a sigh, he relaxed and returned to his work on the computer. He couldn't believe he slept during a review on a case. He should've been better than this. "Damn you, Joker."

"Aww, c'mon, Bats! I didn't make you go all Freddy Kruger on you!" Joker popped up from behind him, wearing his colored version of Freddy's outfit, complete with knife glove. "Although, I can't really do the dream killing thing. Hahahaha!"

"Get out and leave me alone," Batman snarled at him.

"Oh, relax, B-man. I'm not gonna tell on you about your little deep dark crush on Babs. It's our secret!" Joker slung an arm onto the caped crusader's shoulder. "Ok?"

Bruce let out a growl and punched the clown in the face, making him vanish with a cackle. He really had enough of this nonsense, and he wanted to end it now. But he couldn't risk his teammates on the League knowing about what he was currently planning. They could never know.

A beep alerted him to the computer and he turned around to answer it. "This is Batman."

" _Bruce, I've taken care of Penguin's men trying to rob Macy's Diamond store. I'm on my way back._ " Tim's voice spoke through his comm.

"Acknowledged." Bruce's gruff voice spoke out. "Stay safe." He turned off the comm and let out a sigh. Ever since Joker's death, the villains of Gotham began to act up even worse, as if they were trying to outdo Joker's reign of crime. At least Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy weren't causing trouble for him; Catwoman assured him of that. He was glad everyone was out on patrol tonight.

Another beep rang out. He looked at the caller. Gordon. "This is Batman."

" _Batman. We've got something. Something important. It's about the Joker._ " The commissioner's voice growled out.

"I'll be there," Bruce replied and turned off the comm.

He knew that Diana and Clark were probably worried about him not coming to their usual meetings and would probably try to check up on him. He didn't have time to bother with them right now. There was serious work that needed to be done.

Suddenly, he heard the tell-tale swoosh behind him. Superman. "What is it, Kent?" He asked without looking back.

"Well, that's a fine way to greet a friend." The Man of Steel shot back, a frown on his face. "You at least could've contacted us, you know."

"I already have." A laconic response from the dark knight as usual.

"Texts and files don't count, Bruce, and you know that." Clark strode up towards Bruce and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The League can do fine without me," Batman snapped, turning around to face him with a glare. "And _you_ know that."

"Oh, come on, Batsy! Just admit it! You want the big blue boy-scout all to yourself! Just do it already!" Joker shouted, grinning madly. "Tell him how you really FEEL!"

Superman let out a sigh. "I didn't come here to talk about the League, Bruce. I was at Bludhaven for an interview and met Dick. He told me everything." The Kryptonian had a pained, concerned look on his face. "Bruce... you have to let this go."

"There's nothing to let go, Clark. I'm fine."

"I think we both know that's a lie." The reporter softly spoke, his voice thick with worry. "You can't keep brushing something like this off."

Bruce tightened his jaw and let out a frustrated grunt. "I think you should leave now."

"Bruce-"

"JUST FUCK ALREADY!" Joker shouted in his vulgar way, pelvic thrusting in nothing but his purple briefs, much to the dark knight's disgust. "AWOOGA!"

"You know the way in, you can show yourself out." He stood up and headed towards the Batmobile, moving away from the Man of Steel. "I have some business to take care of."

He managed to make it towards the door before a strong grip on his shoulder stopped him. Bruce turned to face Clark and glared daggers at him. "Let me go."

"Not until you promise me." Clark's face was rigid with an emotion he couldn't decipher.

"Promise _what_?" Bruce hissed out.

"Don't go down a road you might never come back from, Bruce. Don't do something that you'll regret dearly. That we'll all regret. You might never come back." The red-caped hero's eyes were filled with a pained sorrow, letting his grip on Batman's shoulder relax. "I don't want to lose you, buddy."

Bruce let out a strained sigh. "You know damn well I would never become something that I hate, Clark." With that, he wrenched himself free and climbed into the car. Pressing a few buttons on the dash, the garage door opened and the car burst forth onto the road, the dark knight rushing to the scene of the crime.

 

"So, Everett, ya planning on riding his ass raw?" Joker drawled out in a Texas accent, wearing a cowboy hat. "Ayuck!"

"Shut up." Bruce growled as he drove on.

Joker placed his feet on the dashboard from the passenger seat as he glanced at the man in the black cowl. "C'mon, Hoss! I seen yer look in yer eyes. Ya want his ass so bad, it's hilarious!"

"You will shut up and you will leave me and Clark alone," Batman growled in his deep voice. "Do you understand?"

"Fine, rag on the guy who's trying to ship you two together. Geez!" Joker pouted. "You're such a downer, man!"

Bruce was tempted to brake the damn car and show Joker what was what, but he squashed the urge down and made his way towards the GCPD HQ. "Just shut up."

"Is it a bad time to say that I stopped by your precious childhood memories and felt up your mommy's dress? She's got a great-"

That was it. Batman stopped the car and grabbed the Joker by the neck. "If you ever-EVER say anything about my mother again, I will KICK the living SHIT out of you!" He squeezed harder. "Got it?!"

"Okay, okay!" Joker wheezed. "Got it!"

Batman shoved Joker to the side and started up the Batmobile again, resuming his drive. As soon as he met up with Gordon, the plan would go into action. He knew the risks, the dangers involved. But he had no choice. He had to deal with the cards he had, and now he was going to deal with them.


	4. Be True To The Game

"You're here." Gordon let out a sigh as he pulled out a cigarette and put it to his lips. He glanced at the familiar figure standing across the Bat-signal.

"Barbara's going to kill you if she finds out you've been smoking."

"Eh, I'm already getting old. One more won't kill me."

Batman only grunted in response.

"So, I found out about something connected to our favorite clown." Gordon lit up his cigarette and looked at the dark knight. "About his death."

"You don't say?!" Joker cackled from behind Batman, who ignored him. "Do tell!"

"What happened?"

"Apparently, someone decided to put some new designer drug into his food and screwed with his body." The police commissioner took a drag and blew out a ring of smoke. "We still haven't got a clue who put it there."

Batman tightened his jaw. "Can you run down on how many people would want the Joker dead?"

"That's a tall order, Batman. Many people would want to see that damn clown dead." Gordon huffed.

"Can you give me the details on the drug, then?" Bruce asked.

"I'll give you all we have. Just be careful out there. We might be onto a some kind of mysterious plot."

"Ok," Batman nodded. "And Jim? Get rid of that."

"It's my cigarette, and I-" Gordon then let out a sigh as Batman vanished. He shook his head in frustration. "I really need to when to stop arguing with him."

 

"So, Bats. You got an idea about how I died? Whatcha gonna do now?" Joker batted his eyes as he gave Bruce a coy look. "Are you gonna ask your little leaguers, hm?"

"No. They're not involved in this now." Batman growled, eyes focused on the road. He was on a mission. And he was not going to let anyone stand in his way. "I'm going to find the answer, one way or another."

"How you're gonna do that?" The clown prince of crime grinned. Bruce shot him a grim look.

"I'm going to get the answers from your body."

Joker's eyes went wide in shock, his pale face adorning a blush as he was clad in a Japanese schoolgirl's outfit. "B-Batsy-senpai, I'm so embrassed...!"

The caped crusader spun around and glared at his hated enemy. "You are not going to get to me, Joker. Not now, not ever. Stop it." He then pressed slightly on the pedal, the Batmobile nearing at the Gotham City Morgue.

 

As Batman stepped into the room where the dead criminals were being held in, he arrived at a large, steel door, where the bodies were kept at a cold temperature. He opened the door and went inside, searching amongst the bodies for a sign of the Joker.

"...Bats? I'm getting kinda worried about you. Necrophilia is icky, and I don't think you want to do this, man. It's wrong." Joker whispered into his ear.

Batman pressed on, ignoring the clown's words as he spotted bone-white feet sticking out from a tarp. "I found you." He breathed out. "And now, you're going to help me out with this."

"Oh, bother." The clown shook his head worriedly.

 

"Bats..." Joker whined, prodding him. "Batsy, c'mon now. This is getting weird, even for me! I'm dead, Bats! You can't do it with a dead stiff!"

The dark knight snorted as he began to set the Joker's body into the passenger's seat. He hoped to god that no one was on patrol tonight. If anyone saw what he was doing, his plan could be in jeopardy. Bruce shut the door and looked around the area, making sure that he wasn't seen.

He then walked around the Batmobile and got into the car, shutting the door. Bruce let out a relieved sigh. So far, so good.

 

Unfortunately, not every cloud had a silver lining.

Roy Harper had witnessed what Batman had done, and pulled out his cell phone. He had to let his Jaybird know about this. "He's not gonna like this..." The former sidekick of Green Arrow mumbled, dialing Jason's number.

' _This is Todd. What's up?_ '

"Jaybird? You're not going to believe this..."

 

Bruce sighed as he drove down the highway, where he had remote-controlled the Batplane to an abandoned airstrip via the dashboard. He hoped to god he could get there unobstructed. "Lord, give me strength." He murmured.

"He ain't gonna help you, Bats. You're going to be fucked. BALLS-DEEP!" Joker, clad in priest robes, shook a bible at him.

"Shut up." Bruce hissed. "I'll make it. And no one will ever know that I'm going to-" He cut himself off as he hit the brakes, taken aback at the sight in front of him. Red Hood was sitting on his bike at the side of the road. And judging from his posture, he did not look pleased.

"Jason." Batman breathed out.

"Get out of the car, Bruce." Jason snapped, his tone tense and sharp. "Right now, old man."

Bruce gripped the wheel tightly as his breaths became ragged. "Jay, no..." He shook his head. He was so careful! How could he have been so careless?! But he still had a job to do. He wasn't going to let his son stop him.

Jason hopped off his motorcycle and strode towards the car, knocking hard on the driver's door. "Bruce, open the goddamn door." He growled.

Batman let his window slide down just a fraction. "Jason-"

"Don't. Just don't. I thought you were better than this. I thought you were going to put this shit in the past." Red Hood snarled out, venom lacing his words as he took off his helmet, his eyes turning teal in anger. "But what the fuck do I see? The fucking clown, sitting in your goddamn car. What in the fucking hell, Bruce?"

"You don't understand. I have to do this."

"Do what?! What-" Jason then froze and slowly came to a horrifying realization. "Oh, fuck no. NO! You are not going to do that to him! I won't let you!"

"I'm going now, Jason. Don't try to stop me." With that, Bruce pushed the pedal and the Batmobile took off, leaving a swearing and pissed off Jason behind him.

 

"You did it now, Bats! You done fucked it up!" The green-haired clown crossed his arms in a pout.

"I did what I had to do!" Bruce shot back. "Jason wouldn't have understood what I needed to do! I need closure on this! I need to know who fucking killed you."

"And now Jay's gonna tell on everyone! And they'll all be like, 'WHY, BRUCE?!' and, 'How could you?!' and my personal favorite, 'FUCK YOU!'"

Batman let out a growl and punched the clown in the face, then he sped up the car, driving down the highway like a speeding demon. He wasn't going to be stopped. He knew the answer lied within the clown's body. And only the League of Assassins would help him now.


	5. Highway to Hell

"They're gonna get ya," Joker huffed, frowning at Bruce. "They're gonna be maaaaad-"

"Shut up." He snarled, not even bothering to look at him as they were  nearing the city limits, the sounds of silence filling the car. Bruce knew it would only a matter of time before his kids would be on his trail. And then the League would get involved as well. "Nothing is going to stop me from finding out the truth, Joker."

"Bats, man, c'mon. Don't do this. You don't know what you're doing. You're messing with bad juju here." The clown prince's tone was filled with... worry?

"I don't have to listen to a hallucination." Was his snippy response.

"What makes you think I'M a figment of your imagination, Bats?" Joker wagged his eyebrows at him, smirking. "I could be a ghost, you know. JOKER THE GOOFY GHOST~!"

Bruce turned to face him, about to tell him to shut up, when something landed on the hood of his car. He turned to see Nightwing. "Dick." He breathed out shakily.

"Stop the goddamn car, Bruce!" Dick cried out, tapping on the windshield with an angry look on his face.

Batman pushed on the brakes and the Batmobile came to a stop. A cool chill grasped at his heart as Dick jumped off the hood and strode to the driver's side, Bruce letting the window down. "What do you want?" He asked.

"I want an answer, B. Like why do you have _the fucking Joker in the car?!_ " The eldest Wayne brother shouted. "What the fuck, Bruce?! I thought Jason was kidding when he told me you were going to bring him to a Lazarus Pit to bring him back, but this-" He gestured to the Joker's corpse in the car. "I-I can't believe you! I thought you had more sense than this!"

"The Joker is the only person that can help me solve the mystery of who killed him. Someone murdered him, Dick. And I'm going to find out, by any means necessary." Bruce stoically replied. "And no one is going to stop me."

Dick's face softened at that. "Bruce, please. Don't do this. T-This isn't worth bringing him back for. There has to be another way!" His tone was now becoming pleading and soft to his ears.

But he had to remain firm. He wasn't going to bend that easily. "There isn't. I'm sorry, chum." With that, Bruce closed the window and pressed the pedal, the Batmobile taking off in a loud roar.

 

"....You suck, Batsy." Joker blew a raspberry at him.

"You're not getting out of this, Joker." Bruce growled as they made it out of Gotham and were now coming up at the airfield. He let out a sigh as he drove up to the hangar and stopped the car. He then got out, headed over to the passenger side and pulled the body from the seat, and went inside.

"Bats, please! You can't bring me back to life! I'm begging ya!" The green-haired clown's bottom lip wibbled. "You gotta let me rest in peace!"

"Why do you care?" Bruce shot back.

"Because we'll be doomed if you let me take a soak in the big green!" Joker paused and blinked. "Can't believe I said that."

The caped crusader ignored him and climbed up onto the plane, opening the cockpit. He then began to put Joker in one of the seats behind the pilot seat, then strapped him in.

"Aw, Bats, always thinking of my safety. How sweet~" Joker cooed at him.

"Stop talking." Bruce snapped.

"Don't be so tsundere, Batsy!" The wicked clown giggled, shooting him a coy smile.

"...When did you ever watch anime?" He gave him a pointed look.

"I have hobbies, Bats. You just never asked me."

Bruce shook his head and got into the pilot's seat, shutting the cockpit closed. He began to activate the jet, the sounds of the engines roaring to life as he prepared the systems. Suddenly, the comm crackled to life. " _Bruce? Bruce?_ "

He ignored it as he began to accelerate the jet.

" _Bruce, please! If you're listening, please, just stop this! This isn't right! You can't bring him back!_ " Barbara's voice rang out through the comm, her pleading voice tugging at his heart. " _You don't have to do this! Just leave it be!_ "

Suddenly she was replaced by an angry male voice. " _Bruce, you fucking son of a bitch! If you revive that fucking monster clown, I will hunt your ass down and kill you both! I swear to fuck-!_ "

Then Tim's voice came on. " _Bruce, please. You're making a big mistake. We can find another way to solve the mystery, bringing him back isn't the right answer-_ " He then was cut off by Damian. " _Father, please, stop this madness. You cannot trust Grandfather to help you with the clown. Grayson is right. I want you to come back..._ "

Bruce couldn't stand it anymore and turned off the comm with a shaky sigh.

"They love you, Batsy. You should've listened to them. But NO~! You just want to play the crazy detective and try to find out the answers like an entitled douchebag who wants to be taken seriously!" Joker snorted.

He grunted as he lifted the now-flying Batwing into the air, going up to the clouds. Bruce knew he was going down the road Clark had warned him of, but there was no turning back. He needed to know. He wanted to seek out the answers. "I'm going to get my answer, and no one is going to stop me." He growled out. "I'm coming, Ra's."


	6. Raining Blood

"We're almost there." Batman announced as he walked near the lair of Ra's al Ghul. He hoped that he wouldn't run into any trouble, but knowing Ra's, he'd have a trick up his sleeve. And having the Joker complain did not do wonders for his thinning patience.

"Batsy, please! I'll tell you why I died! C'mon, man!" Joker's voice was pleading.

"The words of a hallucination cannot be trusted," Bruce snarled lowly.

"What about a medium? A psychic?"

"You are going to be revived, and you are going back to Arkham, and that will be the end of it." The caped crusader hissed. "Or I can leave you here to die in this place."

"Just like good ol' times, eh, Batsy? I remember those days. Whacking on poor little Robin..." The green-haired clown cooed softly, causing Bruce to swing a fist at his face and making him disappear. Once he reached the pits, he hoped to god that this stupid hallucination would die.

 

Bruce grimaced as he gripped onto the corpse's dead hands as he made his way into the cavern, managing to evade the guards patrolling the area. He soon caught the green glow of the familiar Lazarus pit as he neared it. "Finally, I can put this mystery behind me." He murmured to himself. "Joker, you've got a lot to answer for."

"As so do you, beloved."

Bruce quickly turned around to face Talia, her arms crossed and a sad, disapproving look on her face. "Talia." He ground out.

"You disappoint me, beloved. Why have you brought the clown here?" The brunette asked, pain and disgust laced in her honeyed voice. "My father would not approve."

"I don't care about your father, Talia. And I don't care about what you expect of me. I've come too far to stop now. Get in my way, and you'll regret it." Bruce took a few steps forward, preparing to throw Joker into the Pit.

"Batsy, don't! PLEASE!" Joker wailed, clinging at his legs like a scared child. "I'm begging you! You can't bring me back! You can't end it like this!" Tears and snot ran from his face. "Don't do iiiiit!"

"I cannot let you do this-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Bruce roared with such ferocity that it silenced a stunned Talia, who was looking at him in concern. His anger-filled eyes were boring down at the crying clown. "Nothing you say to me will change my mind! You will not stop me! I will find out the truth, even if I have to beat you to death and throw you into the pit over and over! Do you hear me?!"

Talia softly took a step closer. "What has happened to you? What ails you?" Her eyes were focused on Bruce, her lips slightly quivering. "Beloved, please. Whatever is troubling you, let it go. It will only hurt you."

"Stay back," Bruce snarled, muscles tensing up as the daughter of Ra's moved closer to him. "I'm fine. The only thing ailing me is not knowing how the Joker died. Don't make me hurt you, Talia."

"I do not want to hurt you." Talia spoke softly and soothingly. "I want to help you."

"LISTEN TO THE HOT ARABIAN CHICK, BATS!" Joker howled, eyes watery with tears. "SHE KNOWS YOU'RE _FUCKED_ UP IN THE HEAD!"

"...Help me?" Bruce glanced at her.

"Yes, beloved. You must put the clown down and come to me." She opened her arms wide and a small smile appeared on her face. "You must let it go. Do it for me."

Bruce was being torn in the inside. A side of him wanted to listen to Talia and end this madness. Another side screamed to just ignore her and dump the clown into the pit. A third side wanted to leave the Joker's corpse here and never come back. He closed his eyes and began to judge on which side was right.

"Beloved?" Talia's voice rang like a bell into his ears.

"Bats? Batsy?" Joker's pleading voice was like fries in hot oil.

With a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes and looked at Talia. "I'm sorry," He spoke softly, then flung the dead clown into the pit with all his strength.

" _NOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ " Joker screamed at the top of his lungs.

Talia let out a gasp as she rushed to the edge of the pool. "Beloved, what have you done?!"

Bruce ignored her as he watched the green liquid of the pit bubble violently, the arms and legs of Joker flailing wildly as the body jerked upwards to the surface. It was a horrifying sight to behold.

"Oh, _fuck me_! FUCK _MEEEEE!_ " Joker howled.

"Wait..." Bruce turned to the Joker, his face slowly turning a shade of white. "Why are you still here?! _Why aren't you gone?!_ "

"I told you, Bats! _I TOLD YOOOOOOOU!_ "

A loud screech came from the now revived Joker, his head emerging from the emerald green water, his eyes were now a shiny blood-red and his face had a terrifying smile that threatened to split his face in half. " **I AM REBORN!** " His booming voice echoed throughout the cave, sending shivers down their spines.

"What in God's name are you?" Bruce spoke out softly, ignoring Talia's body pressed against him as the demonic Joker began to burst out laughing madly at him. "Who are YOU?!"

"My name? The mere mention of my name has set people quaking in fear, bringing ruin to those with righteous hearts, and fill the innocent with madness. I am... **KOKABIEL**!" The green-haired clown let out a loud cackling laugh devoid of humor as he then parted the Lazarus Pit and floated out of the pool, moving towards Bruce and Taila. "And soon, you will now the meaning of my name."


	7. Living in Sin

Bruce just stared in absolute shock at the...creature that called itself Kokabiel. Was the hallucination telling the truth after all? Was the Joker right in trying to stop him from unleashing an ancient evil? "...What have I done?"

"Do not fret so, mortal. You have freed me." Kokabiel sneered at the dark knight with the Joker's red lips. "For that, I will spare your life and let you watch as I bring chaos to the ones you cherish dearly." The wind burst forth as the demonic clown laughed loudly.

"Holy shit, this chick is going commando!" Joker grinned widely as he gazed at Taila's bare ass as her white dress flew up behind her. "I can dig this view! You got good taste, Bats!"

"Beloved..." Talia breathed out, holding onto Bruce tightly. Her eyes were holding a fear of this terrifying, unknown demon that was standing before them. She couldn't understand what kind of monster this was. "What does he mean by this?"

"You stay away from my family," Batman snarled, teeth gritted. "You will NOT touch them."

"I have nothing to fear from a mortal man." Kokabiel snickered, his red eyes still focused on him. "I can smell their presence even now. They're here."

Bruce's heart nearly stopped. "No." He breathed out.

"Yes," The clown floated in front of him, still grinning. "And I can't wait to meet them. This will be a joyous event."

The caped crusader pushed Talia aside and swung a fist at the possessed clown, but Kokabiel just merely flicked his hand and sent him flying back into a cave wall, chuckling as Bruce let out a groan, slumping downwards.

"Beloved!" Talia cried out.

Joker's head emerged from underneath Talia's dress, wearing a baseball cap and looking at her with concern. "Mom, is Bat-dad gonna be okay?"

Bruce let out a groan as he tried to stand up, glaring darkly at Kokabiel's grinning face. "I won't let you...urgh!" He winced in pain as he fell to his knees. "Damn...!"

"Give it up, mortal. You can't stop me-" He was cut off as a gunshot rang out and felt a bullet strike his shoulder. "Hmm... I see one of them has arrived." Kokabiel's smile grew wider as he turned to face the Red Hood, who was holding his guns and aiming them at him. "Have you come to challenge me as well?"

"I don't know what the _fuck_ has happened to you, clown, but I'm here to take your crazy ass down for good." Jason snarled as Roy and Kori appeared from behind him, glaring  at the demonic clown. "And I brought backup."

"Jason!" Bruce groaned out. "Don't...! H-He's not who you think he is! Get out of here! Take Talia with you!"

"Save your breath, Bruce. I'll deal with your ass later." The second Robin hissed as he fired off a shot at Kokabiel once again. His smug grin turned into shock as the bullet simply bounced off of his target of ire. "...The fuck?"

"Ah, you mortals and your weapons." Kokabiel let out a booming laugh and ripped the guns from Jason's hands and crushed them into an unrecognizable lump of metal. He flung it over his shoulder and brushed his hands off. "Pity. What next? Are you going to throw stones at me?"

Kori let out a screech and fired off her starbolts, while Roy shot off his arrows. Kokabiel just kept laughing as the projectiles merely did nothing to him. "This is quite the show! What comedy this is! Fools trying to play the righteous noble heroes!" He clapped his hands mockingly. "Bravo!"

"Is it too much for you to shut the fuck up?!" Jason shouted.

"Yeah! You ain't funny as me, demon boy!" Joker blew a raspberry at the being inhabiting his body. "I'm the real comedian!"

"So says the fool hiding underneath the dress of a harlot," Kokabiel shot a look at Joker, who eeped and quickly went under Talia's dress once again. Talia just stared in bafflement and horror. What was going on? How was the clown doing all of this? Those were questions that needed to be asked later. She started to place two fingers to her mouth for a whistle.

"Don't even bother, woman. I can kill your pathetic followers faster than you can blink. Do not doubt my power." The demonic Joker wagged his finger at her, then turned to the Outlaws. "Now then, what to do with you three?"

"Run, Jason! It's pointless to fight him! Get out of here now!" Bruce barked out.

"Shut up!" Red Hood snarled back as he turned to face Kokabiel. "Okay, clown, you wanna dance? Let's dance." He pulled out a machine gun and fired at him.

"Oh, please." Kokabiel flicked his fingers outward, sending Jason and Roy and Kori, flying away from him and sending them crashing into the cave floor. "You mortals are so simple-minded. Always relying on your powers and weapons. So stupid."

Roy let out a groan as he crawled over to Jason. "I-I don't think we can beat him, Jay..."

"Indeed. He is quite formidable." Kori grabbed her bruised arm and rubbed it softly, biting her bottom lip. "I fear we may have bitten more than we can eat."

" _Chew_ , Kori." Jason grunted as he struggled to get up. "And- ow, fuck, I think he busted my ribs...!"

"I grow tired of this game now," The green-haired clown huffed, bored. "Now, you will be buried alive in this cavern."

"I don't think so."

Kokabiel and Bruce turned to face an angry-looking Superman, arms folded over his chest. The demonic clown sneered at the man of steel. "And who are you to say that?"

"The name's Superman, and you've just made a big mistake." With that, Clark took a step forward, and the rest of the Justice League emerged from behind him. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Zatanna were behind him, eyes focused on the demon. "You poked the bear, now feel the claws."

The demon's red eyes widened in shock as he saw Zatanna. "You...! You are the companion of Constantine!"

"And you're Captain Obvious." The magician smirked at him. "You want a medal or what?"

"Is it just me, or did the clown get all Exorcist on us?" Hal asked, tilting his head.

"Jesus, I didn't think he'd look this ugly." Ollie grimaced. "Then again, he wasn't pretty to look at either."

Diana was helping Bruce to stand up, her face unreadable. "Are you all right, Bruce?"

"F-Forget about me. Go-Go help Jason..." The dark knight hissed out in pain, not wanting to look at his teammates in the eyes. He glanced at Talia, who was still standing there, gazing at the league.

Joker popped his head out of Taila's dress, wearing sunglasses. "Hey, Bats! I hope you're having fun, cause I sure am!" He let out a cackle, and looked around the cave. "Oh, lookie here! The whole gang's here!"

Zatanna took a disturbed glance at the Joker, then looked at Kokabiel. "I guess that explains why you're stuck in his body, huh?"

"I needed a vessel, and I care not what happens to that...disgusting soul." Kokabiel then spread his arms, an evil smile spreading all over his face. "Now, which one of you wants to die first?"

"No one, you damn clown." Dinah cracked her knuckles. "You're going back to being dead once we beat you out of his body."

"I think not, woman."

Jason and the Outlaws had managed to recover and were standing off to the sidelines, watching. Kori had her arm wrapped around Jason's shoulders and she turned to face him. "I am worried for them." She replied softly.

"I'm worried about Dinah, but not Ollie." Roy rolled his eyes. "Like, why is he even here? What, were Hawkman and Cyborg too busy?"

"Goddamn _shit_ ," Jason spat out angrily. "That damn clown broke my fucking guns. He's going to pay for this." The Red Hood let out a pained grunt as he felt a pain shoot up through his side. "Fucking over-powered demon clown!"

Talia finally broke out of her trance and made her way to her beloved, kicking the Joker out from her dress. The ghostly clown let out a groan as he fell onto his back. "Tals! _Don't go!_ I was starting to enjoy _your rosy cheeks!_ "

Bruce watched Diana frown at the daughter of Ra's approach him and step in front of him. "That's as far as you'll go." Her voice was sharp and stern.

"Do not tell me what to do. I am merely helping my beloved."

"He doesn't want your help."

Talia's eyes narrowed as she glared at the Amazon, who returned it. "He is my beloved."

"And he is my friend."

Bruce let out a groan as he looked at the whimpering Joker, who was dabbing tears with his green handkerchief. " _I'll always remember how nice Tallie's ass was!_ " The clown sobbed and blew into his cloth.

The caped crusader resisted the urge to throw a rock at him as he watched Superman lunge forward at Kokabiel and sent him flying towards a cave wall, making a human-sized dent. This was going to be hard to explain to Clark when this was all said and done.


	8. Hell is for Chlidren

Superman let out a grunt as he crashed through a stalagmite and landed against a wall. Kokabiel's laughter ringing in his ears. "What in the world are you?" He groaned, looking at the demonic clown.

"I am power, you fool. I am the raw force of nature confined into a mortal vessel. I am **KOKABIEL**!" Kokabiel then shot out an invisible wave of power, sending the Kryptonian into the wall again. Another bout of laughter erupted from his throat.

"Power this, you freakshow!" Hal launched a giant fist construct from his ring and swung it at Kokabiel, but he simply dodged the attack and shook his head.

"You humans really don't know when to stop."

"Not all of us are human, buddy." Oliver snapped as he shot out an arrow at the floating clown. Kokabiel simply caught it with two of his fingers, smirking. "What is this supposed to be-ARGH!!" The demonic being howled as a bright light engulfed his vision. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!"

"Dammit, Ollie!" Barry shielded his eyes from the flashbang arrow. "You had to use that arrow?"

"What? It's got your name on it!"

"That's not funny!"

Bruce groaned as he lumbered forwards, watching the body of the Joker cover his face in agony. He then looked over at Jason and his teammates, who were helping their leader to his feet. A part of him wished he shouldn't have brushed them off and listened to his clan.

"Hey, Bats! What are we gonna do?!" Joker was clinging to his body like a scared child. "I really don't like how ol' Coke-brain is doing things...! I mean, I may be a jerk, but he's awful!"

"Be quiet," Batman hissed.

Diana shot a confused look at him. "Who are you talking to, Bruce?"

"No one." The dark knight grumbled. "Just dealing with my demons."

"Yeah, about that..." Zatanna drawled out, a nervous look on her face as she glanced at Joker, then Bruce. "You do realize you've got the Joker's ghost hanging off of you, right?"

"He's not a ghost, just a hallucination." Bruce ground out. "Just a stupid hallucination that won't _leave me alone._ " He spat out the last three words at the ghostly clown, shooting a dark glare at him.

"JOKER THE GOOFY GHOST~!"

Bruce growled and shook the clown off of him, then turned to see Kokabiel slowly recovering from the flashbang. "He's vulnerable! Hit him now!" He barked out.

Clark lunged forwards and punched the demonic clown, sending straight into a green cage construct made by Hal, and Diana flung her lasso over him, binding Kokabiel. Dinah fired off a Canary Cry just for good measure, causing him to fall over and writhe in pain.

"About time," Barry sighed. "Didn't think we'd stop him."

"Although this does raise some questions," J'onn spoke up quietly as the rest of the League turned their gazes at Bruce, who returned them with a frown.

Clark let out a sigh as he gave a disappointed look at his friend. "Bruce..."

"Save it. I don't need a lecture." Batman spat out as he glanced at Jason, who was giving him the bird. He knew he deserved it for being so obstinate, but he was hoping he'd get the answer he was looking for. And he nearly put the lives of his loved ones in danger for it.

"Well, tough shit, spooky, because your little stunt caused an ancient, super-powered evil to wake up in that crazy ass clown of yours," Hal snapped through gritted teeth. "You know, I wish you'd keep your brand of weird shit in your city. We've got enough problems already."

"Hal..." Dinah replied in a warning tone.

"What's done is done. Kokabiel has been stopped, and we need to discuss what to do next," Wonder Woman spoke in a firm tone.

"I agree with Wonder Woman," Starfire spoke up from her place near Jason.

"What's there to discuss?" Jason rasped out, glaring at the imprisoned clown. "Just fucking shoot his ass. Dunno where he got those meta bullshit powers, but I can't wait to kill this asshole again."

"I bet that's your answer for everything, kid." Oliver shot a pointed look at Red Hood, earning a glare from his former ward. "And look how well that turned out."

"Hey, piss off, old man." Roy came to Jason's defense. "It's not our fault the Joker's so damn strong."

Bruce let out a growl. "He's not the Joker. Not anymore. Something is living inside his body now. Something dangerous. We can't let him out upon the world. Not until we find a way to drive the entity from his body."

"Hence, killing his ass." Jason snipped.

"No killing." Superman's voice rang out clearly. "We are not going to do that. We're going to find a way to nullify Kokabiel as a threat. Zatanna, can you find a way to do something about this?"

"I can try," The magician replied. "I may need a little help, though."

"OOH OOH OOH!" Joker bounced on his feet, waving his arms. "ME! ME! MEEEEE!"

"Shut up, Joker." Batman hissed at him softly.

Talia, who was silent through this, moved towards Bruce with a pleading look on her face. "Beloved, are you all right?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at her.

"I'm fine. Leave me be." His words were curt, but filled with uncertainty.

"I cannot, not like you are being like this." The daughter of Ra's leaned closer, but felt an iron grip on her shoulder. She turned to look at a certain angry Amazon and returned the glare she was being given. "Release me."

"He told you to leave him alone."

"I will not let my beloved suffer this alone!"

"You should respect his wishes."

"CAAAAATFIGHT!" Joker howled, waving a giant foam finger and carrying a bowl of popcorn.

Zatanna shook her head and sighed. This was getting too much for her. ",elbisiv mih ekam" A chant slipped from her lips and the Joker suddenly poofed in full view in front of the shocked League.

Joker froze as he watched the heroes look at him. "...What? Did I get cream on my nose again? What's with all the looking?"

"No fucking way," Hal blurted out.

Clark just stared in shock as he tried to get the words out. "B-Bruce...? Is this what you were...?"

Bruce turned to Zatanna with a frown. "What did you do?"

"You're welcome." She gave him a sassy smile.

"What the fuck is this?!" Jason shouted, eyes wide in shock. "T-There's fucking two of them now?! What in the name of fucking shit?!"

"I ain't seeing this, man. I know, cause I stopped taking drugs!" Roy babbled.

Talia's eyes widened in shock as she looked at the non-demonic clown. This was starting to make less and less sense to her now. What was going on? Then she suddenly remembered Kokabiel's offhanded comment about him hiding under her dress and a cold glare made its way into her face. "You," She hissed at the clown. "You dared to-to-"

"You're gonna have to be a little specific, Tallie. I did what now?" Joker put on a pair of oversized sunglasses and smirked at her. "I did lots of things, hon."

"I will see you dead for humiliating me, clown." The Al Ghul heiress hissed, eyes narrowed into slits.

"But I'm already _deaaaaaad!_ " Joker wailed, crying crocodile tears.

" _Enough._ " Bruce cut through the chatter with a hard voice. "This is getting us nowhere. We need to act now before-"

Suddenly, Nightwing and the rest of the Batfamily barged into the cave. "Jason! Bruce! Wha-" Dick stopped and looked at Kokabiel and Joker. " _What the fuck?!_ "

"There's two Jokers?" Tim blurted out.

" _Oh my god._ " Stephanie gaped in shock.

"Father? Mother?" Damian spoke in a soft voice.

Barbara just stared in horror and shock, her body going rigid as a stone.

"THE GANG'S ALL HERE!" Joker crowed.

"And here they are. All gathered in one place." Kokabiel smiled and his eyes glowed a very bright shade of red as he began to vibrate violently, sending out pulses of energy in the cavern, making rocks fall down from the ceiling and the ground shake as he began to laugh...


	9. Burn, Baby, Burn

Kokabiel kept laughing as he began to gather power into himself. "You fools will regret mocking me. Behold!" He let out a roar as he shattered Hal's cage and flew upwards, creating a hole in the cavern. The gathered heroes watched in shock as the demonic clown's laughter echoed out. "First, I will pay that pathetic clown's dwelling a visit. Greet his friends. Farewell!"

Bruce grit his teeth in anger and anxiety. He couldn't let the demon raze through his city like it was nothing. "Everyone, listen up. We need to stop Kokabiel once and for all. Zatanna, get in touch with Constantine. Tell him we need his help in stopping a demon."

"Got it." The magician nodded. " _!nhoJ ot em ekaT_ " She disappeared in a flash.

"Hey, wait a minute! You're not going to even tell us about the demonic Joker?!" Dick shouted in disbelief. "What the hell, Bruce?"

"There's no time. Kokabiel's on his way to Gotham and we have no idea what he's planning on doing. We need a plan now." His voice slipped a bit at the last part as he tried his best to avoid looking at his eldest son. "Who's at the city?"

"Well, Cass and Duke-" Stephanie began, but was cut off by Barbara.

"No, Bruce. We have a right to know about what the _fuck_ just happened here." The redhead seethed. "Why are there TWO fucking Jokers around?! What the hell did you do?!"

"Batsy did a bad, baaaad thing." Joker grinned, putting a finger to his lips. "He brought me back, but it wasn't me this time~! He revived the DEVIL!"

"Shut up, you fucking piece of shit!" Jason snarled, glaring daggers at the ghostly clown. "You think this shit is funny?! Well, do you?!"

"Mmmmmmmm.... Yup!"

Jason lunged at the green-haired clown with an enraged scream and passed through him, landing on the cave floor. "Fuck!" He let out a groan as he rolled over and held his side. Kori and Roy ran over to him and helped him up. "Fucking ghostly asshole!"

"Awww, thanks, Jay!"

"Enough!" Bruce snapped angrily. "We do not have time for this! Stephanie, call Cassandra and tell her to tell Gordon-"

"NO!" Barbara strode up towards Bruce with flashing anger in her eyes as she poked him on the chest. "You've gone too far this time, Bruce. I can't believe you would just do something like this and just ask us to forget about it! You don't get to do this!"

"Fucking right!" Jason put his two cents in.

"Guys, we need to focus on the...Demon Joker. Can't this wait until we've stopped him?" Tim asked.

"No, Tim, this needs to be said. Bruce can't just keep doing this anymore. He can't be allowed to do these kinds of things." Dick then shot a glare at his mentor. "We trusted you, Bruce. We all did."

"Father..." Damian looked crestfallen. "I can't... I..." He felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. "Mother..."

"Hush, my son. Let them speak." Talia spoke softly.

"Guys, really, I don't mind the family drama, but can we please do something about the fucking demon clown before he kills someone?!" Hal snapped.

"Stay out of this, Jordan." Bruce growled.

"Fuck off, Gumby!" Jason snapped, turning his glare on Bruce. "The grownups are talking."

"I'll go stop him." Superman sighed and flew out of the hole Kokabiel made. Black Canary sighed, shaking her head. "I don't blame him. The Bats can be...over-dramatic."

"Hey!" Stephanie protested. "We're right here, you know!"

"Steph, quiet." Barbara hissed out, not breaking eye contact with Batman. "This is the last straw, Bruce. You're walking on thin ice. If you ever pull this kind of stunt again, I'm done. I'm going to leave this damned family, and I'll just give the Batgirl mantle to someone else who needs it."

"...Does this mean I get to be Batgirl again?" Steph tilted her head.

"Barbara, you can't be serious-"

" _I am dead fucking serious._ "

Jason let out a pained chuckle. "She's got you there, B. You fucked it up!"

"C'mon, Babs! You can't leave now! We've got a show to do!" Joker pleaded, wearing a movie director's outfit. "The show must go on! We can't just find another actress and give her the leading lady role!"

"...Is it a bad time to say that I kinda agree with the Joker?" Steph blurted out, only to be nudged roughly by Tim. "Ow! Tim!"

Fortunately, Barbara didn't seem to listen or care as she swung a fist at the Joker. "You stay out of this, you bastard. This is entirely all your fault! You had to go and die and make Bruce go on this stupid quest to revive you! You brought _this hell on us!_ "

Joker glanced at Steph for a moment, then turned to Barbara with a sheepish smile. "...Is this a bad time to say that I kiiiinda made a deal with the devil?" He parroted the blonde.

"...You what?" Dick flatly asked.

"Yeah. I made a deal with Ol' Scratchy Bottom. I wanted to, y'know, cause some hijinks as usual, and in exchange, I let him use my body. I had to die for it, which kinda hurt a lot, though." Joker then grinned widely.

Jason stared at the Joker for a moment, then turned to Roy. "Roy, shoot his ass."

"But he's a ghost!"

"Shoot him, dammit! I want his ass shot!" The Red Hood then grunted in pain as he nearly fell over. "Fucking fuckity fuck...!"

"Jason, don't push yourself!" Kori pleaded, as she steadied him.

"Fuck that shit!" The second Robin groaned as he reached out and smacked the red archer on the arm. "Shoot him, Harper!"

Roy shrugged and pulled out an arrow, eyeing the green-haired clown. He let the projectile fly and it went right through him, going straight past Green Arrow and nearly nicking him. "Dammit, boy! Watch it!"

"Oops." Roy replied, not really meaning it.

"Pathetic, Todd." Damian huffed.

"Fuck you," Jason shot back at the current Robin.

"Jason." Talia warned sternly. "Behave."

"...Is it too late to be adopted by Green Arrow?" Tim asked, struggling not to facepalm.

"Tim," Bruce barked out.

"Kid, I would love to adopt you, but I think your daddy won't like it." The green archer raised an eyebrow at the caped crusader's glare.

"So, now what?" Barry asked with a questioning look on his face. "Aren't we going to stop Kokabiel too?"

"Not yet. Right now we need to form a plan of attack for the soon to be escaped villains. Kokabiel will likely be heading to Arkham, and I need all the help I can get. However, you will need to follow my instructions to the letter. I don't want to hear any complaints. We're dealing with the worst that Gotham has to offer and I can provide you with intel on every rogue." Bruce rattled out. "I need everyone on this."

"I will send my elite guards to help you, Beloved." Talia spoke.

"He doesn't need your assistance," Diana snapped.

"I was talking to my Beloved." The daughter of the Demon turned to glare at her, her eyes flashing with jealousy and anger. "I was not talking to you, you Amazonian whore."

"You will watch your tongue or you will lose it very quickly." The princess of Themiscyra glared back at Talia.

"Enough." Batman growled out, interrupting the two women. "Talia, I appreciate the offer, but I don't need the help of the League of Shadows."

"You cannot brush me aside like this, Bruce." Talia frowned. "You have brought me into this madness and I will give you aid, one way or another." She then turned her gaze to Jason. "I will have my medics tend to Jason while you go deal with your... problem."

"I don't-"

"I will keep an eye on Todd, father." Damian interrupted.

Bruce let out a heavy sigh and narrowed his eyes at Talia. "He had better be safe."

"Trust me, Beloved, he will be taken care of."

Starfire and Arsenal stood beside their injured friend. "We will be with him as well." The redheaded alien woman stated coolly.

Talia merely raised an eyebrow. "If you wish."

Dick just shook his head and sighed. "This night just keeps getting better and better. I can't really imagine how can it get any worse."

"Dick, no!" Steph squealed. "You'll jinx it!"

"Relax, what's going to happen?"

 

"This is such a splendid sight." Kokabiel laughed as he watched Gotham being wreathed in flames, people running around screaming in panic. It was the most sweetest thing he had ever seen. "I can see why the clown loves doing things like this." He then turned his gaze towards the distant prison of Arkham, and a big smile crept up his face. "Time to meet his friends."


	10. Heart on fire

"What ta' hell is goin' on out dere?!" Harley cried out, watching the burning city with Ivy, who looked absolutely concerned. "I haven't seen a big fire like dis' since the Chicago Fire!"

"You weren't born when that happened, Harley." The plant woman sighed, looking at her babies. "Besides, I'm more worried that we should leave this city like the rest."

"But, Red, I don't want to leave! We should do something!" The clown girl whined.

"Why yes, Harls. Let's stay here, get burned up into a crisp and let the police identify our ashes." Pamela sarcastically bit out, then stomped her foot on the floor. "We're leaving. End of-"

Suddenly, a fierce wind blew into the room as the demonic Joker entered the room, a wide grin etched onto his face. "Hello, ladies. Nice to see you again."

"M-Mistah J?" Harley's eyes widened in a mix of shock and disbelief. "B-But how? T-They s-said you were dead!"

Ivy quickly took a defensive position in front of her girlfriend. "You're not him. Stay back, Harley."

"Oh, come now, Pamela. Can't you see? I am Mistah J. I'm just...better." Kokabiel then laughed loudly as he took in the expressions of the two women. "But, relax yourselves. I come bearing gifts." He looked at Harley. "For you, my dear, I give you something that you've been lacking."

"What's dat, Mistah J?" Harley eyed him warily.

Kokabiel snapped his fingers and the blonde clown suddenly felt her head splitting open and she let out a loud scream.

"HARLEY!" Ivy ran to grab her and held her. "Harley, what's wrong?! Harley!"

Harley then stopped screaming and began to shudder violently as her eyes went wide, horror decorating her face. "No...No...NO!" She ripped herself away from Pamela and began to sob hysterically. "Oh, god, what have I... What the hell have I been...?!" She let out a blood-curdling scream as she ran full sprint out of the door.

"Harley, come back!" Ivy shouted after her, then turned to glare at Kokabiel with hatred. "What the _fuck_ did you do to her?!"

"I just merely gave her sanity back, that's all." The demonic clown chuckled.

"Give her back, you fucking monster! I want my Harley back!" Ivy snarled, ready to summon her plants for battle.

"Oh, please." Kokabiel snapped his fingers, and the vines slowly crawling towards him went still and limp. Ivy watched in shock, then looked at her non-green arms. "W-What the fuck...?" She blurted out. "You son of a bitch! _What the fuck did you do?!_ "

"I took your powers away! Now you can't get me with your lovely little babies, dear. That's my gift from me. Hahahaha!" Kokabiel then vanished in a flash of light as he left an angry Ivy screaming curses after him.

 

"Damn it!" Bruce growled as his city came into view, the fires slowly dying down thanks to Superman's help. "We wasted all this time on this pointless arguing!"

"Pointless?!" Dick's voice rang out through the comm. "Bruce, this is all your fault! This wouldn't have happened if you just left Joker alone!"

"He's right, Batsy." Joker slipped an arm around his shoulders. "Ya blew it big!"

"Shut up," Batman hissed at the ghost near him.

"So what are we going to do now?" Tim's voice rang out.

"Listen up. Nightwing, Red Robin and Spoiler. I want you to go out and seek out the spots where the Joker usually goes. Batgirl, Black Bat and Signal are to keep the rioters at bay with the help of Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Flash. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Superman, are with me in finding Kokabiel. We will hold him off until Zatanna comes back with Constantine. "

"When this is over, Bruce, we are going to have one hell of a talk." Barbara hissed out.

"Noted," Bruce grumbled out. "Now, let's go save Gotham."

Clark sighed. He really didn't like the dreary, dark city, but he didn't want the people in it to be hurt. As he made quick work of the putting out the last of the dying flames, he then saw the Batwing coming into view. "Oh, Bruce..." He sighed sadly as he flew towards the aircraft.

 

Kokabiel chuckled as he teleported in front of Arkham, grinning. "Ok, boys. It's time to play house." With a snap of his fingers, the alarms inside Arkham went off as a wicked smile grew on his face. "And soon, the fun will begin."

 

"Fuckin' clown." Jason grumped as a handmaiden tended to his wounds. "Ow, fuck!" He winced as she dabbed near a sensitive spot.

"Jason, don't be difficult." Talia scolded as she watched him, her eyes narrowed as the handmaiden nervously looked at her patient. "She is only helping you."

"Can't she be gentle about it? I mean, for fuck's sake." The second Robin groaned.

"Dude, you did get your ass knocked around by the devil clown." Roy rolled his eyes. "Not a wise move in your books."

"Roy." Kori nudged his arm, a frown on her face.

"He is not wrong." Damian tutted. "It was foolish of Todd to fight the unknown."

Jason shot glares at them both. "As soon as I get healed up, I'll kick both of your asses."

"You will do nothing but rest. I will not let you get hurt again. Your father would be upset." Talia crossed her arms in a motherly manner.

"That asshole is no father of mine," Jason hissed. "He brought back the damn clown. He should've let him die."

Kori let out a sigh and looked at Jason with a sad face. "Oh, Jason."

Damian let out a sigh. "You... are not wrong. Father has erred greatly in this endeavor. I... I do not know if I want to be with him."

Talia looked on with a slight tinge of sadness and longing. Her Beloved had made mistakes before, but this was something entirely different. She wondered if she could just leave Damian in better hands. "I am sorry, my child. It seems that I have erred as well."

"...M-Mother?" The current Robin looked at her in confusion.

"Oh, Damian. You should not have to call me that, not after what I have done to your father and his family." The daughter of the demon sighed with a sad smile on her face. "But if you wish to call me that, then I won't stop you."

"...What brought this on?" Jason asked.

Talia moved from her place against the wall. "I am planning on giving custody of Damian to you, Jason. I do hope you'll be happy with one another."

"...What the fuck?!" The Red Hood blurted out in complete shock at the same time Damian shrieked, "What?!"

 

 


End file.
